Charles M. Russell—Printed Rarities from Private Collections

Charles M. Russell—cowboy, painter, sculptor, writer—was an advocate of the people, animals, landscapes, and ideals of the West. Perhaps most importantly, he was an archivist. Through his detailed and honest paintings, sculptures, line drawings, and prose, he memorialized the Western way of life as it was at the turn of the twentieth century. Far from romanticizing the West, Russell’s art captured the harsh and beautiful reality of the everyday world he lived in. Russell was one of those rare artists who was famous during his lifetime. Most books about Russell focus on his masterpieces, but Charles M. Russell: Printed Rarities from Private Collections examines the lesser-known but ubiquitous commercial works that made him a household name. These magazine covers, postcards, calendars, cigar boxes, ink blotters, letterheads, and artifacts are today some of the most highly sought after Russell memorabilia. From Great Northern Railway’s See America First stamps to a 1904 tray advertising Heptol Splits, many of these items have not been seen since they were first produced. Charles M. Russell: Printed Rarities from Private Collections presents hundreds of these extraordinary gems in a large, full-color format, framed by the story of Russell’s remarkable life.

A two-time Western Heritage Award winner for best art book of the year and recipient of the Scriver Award, Larry Len Peterson is an acknowledged expert on art and art history of the American West. His publications include Charles M. Russell, Legacy (1999); A Most Desperate Situation (2000, 2001); Philip R. Goodwin: America’s Sporting and Wildlife Artist (2001, 2007); The Call of the Mountains: The Artists of Glacier National Park (2002); and L. A. Huffman: Photographer of the American West (2003, 2005). He lives with his wife, LeAnne, on the Spirit of Winter Ranch near Sisters, Oregon.